5 Leadership Questions: A Leadership Podcast Featuring Interviews With Carey Nieuwhof, Craig Groeschel, Matt Chandler, Jen Wi

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins is joined by Jerry Vines, former pastor of First Baptist Church, Jacksonville, FL and editor of the Vines Expository Bible. During their conversation, they discuss being a leader in your home and how to handle criticism. BEST QUOTES “My emphasis is to try to be an encouragement to pastors and to people.” “The secret of a person’s life is always behind the scenes.” “High on my priority list is telling my wife how much I love her and how much she means to me.” “Every teacher and every Christian should be a student.” “Being the leader in your home does not mean that you are the dictator and that you are always right.” “Be willing to be used of God wherever He puts you.” “Face your problems. Be willing to learn from your problems and be willing to apply what you know to be true.” “You will find some of the greatest Christians in the world in small places. It’s not a bad thing to build your life in a small place." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Minis

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Chris Brown, host of Life Money Hope podcast. During their conversation, they discuss the importance of gratitude and moving past the baggage you have in life. BEST QUOTES "A lot of times we judge ourselves based on our intentions and others on reality and that’s not fair." "When I think about leadership in the home, it’s just so much harder than leadership in an organization. It’s less clinical. It’s a lot more emotional." "No matter your context is, whether you are in the marketplace or in church, whatever the duties are, the tasks are, the responsibilities, the weight is. You’ve got to have this whole I do, we do, you do idea." "Generosity and gratitude are contagious. Opportunity is attracted to generosity. Generosity is the currency of gratitude. It’s gratitude in action. Silent gratitude is absolutely useless." "When you are not filled with gratitude, you are not going one inch outside your job description

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined by Ron Edmondson, senior pastor of Immanuel Baptist Church and author of The Mythical Leader: The Seven Myths of Leadership. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: What is a conflict or failure that has benefited you in leadership? Who or what has been the greatest leadership influence in your life? What do you want your legacy to be? What habits or practices do you focus on to continue to learn as a leader? What's the best piece of leadership advice that you've ever been given? BEST QUOTES "I’ve got something else to learn and there is somebody else who has already learned it, so I’m going to go find them." "One of my principles in leadership is you can’t lead people you don’t love." "I like to hear from different voices, even voices I don’t agree with." "I have discovered pastors are terrible at disciplining their time, at learning to say no, and at really resting." "Leader

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger discuss Eric's new book, How to Ruin Your Life and Starting Over When You Do. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: What lead you to write this book? What are some of the patterns you see in David's life? And why is it so important to keep those in check? What can leaders learn from David's implosion and redemption? What message from the book do you hope resonates with leaders the most? What are some ways a leader might use this book for their own personal growth and for their team? This is a great book to go walk through as a team. Click here to download a team discussion guide. BEST QUOTES "There are private failures before a public fall." "I used to not think it was a big deal when a leader would say, “I’m bored. I need a new challenge.” But boredom means we aren’t looking at the Lord, because He’s never boring, He always satisfies." "Isolation. Boredom. Pride. Sins that should not be

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Chris Hogan, author of Retire Inspired: It's Not an Age, It's a Financial Number. During their conversation, they discuss continual improvement and retirement tips. BEST QUOTES "We’re all in process. None of us are a finished product. It’s a matter of the tuning, and the awareness that we have as individuals that will allow us to grow." "As a leader, people have to know that you care. We can get so caught up in the title and in the position of leader, I think we forget the obligation and opportunity of leadership." "We are perfectly capable of improvement. Being an improved leader means you are getting better and better day in and day out." "A mistake is something that can happen, but if it keeps happening over and over its no longer called a mistake. Now it’s called a choice." "I know as a leader, if I can improve in my style and my performance and my knowledge, I can also improve in my impact on people." "A g

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Robby Gallaty, lead pastor of Long Hollow Baptist Church in Hendersonville, Tenn., and author of The Disciple's Study Bible and The Forgotten Jesus. During their conversation, they discuss getting to know your congregation and the importance of growing leaders. BEST QUOTES “You don’t want to just read from one stream.” “You want to eat the fish and spit out the bones. You have to discern the difference.” “God convicted me a few years ago, “Why are you reading books about what I say, when you can just read what I say?” “Healthy things grow. If we could create a top down healthy staff it would trickle down to the congregation.” “The overall process of our disciple making strategy is both inviting people to church and then investing in those we invite.” “A good leader is a leader who is raising up and developing other leaders." “I think developing leaders who come after you is a stewardship issue that Jesus is

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined by Brian Dodd, author of Timeless: 10 Enduring Practices of Apex Leaders. During their conversation, they discuss increasing capacity and the importance of quiet times. BEST QUOTES "The main thing I am working on personally is just trying to accomplish everything God wants me to accomplish, and that’s generally a little bit more than I am already doing by myself so I need to do some stuff to fill the gaps." "As people who God has called to be in leadership, we can forget the basics. There are fundamentals that provide the foundation for anybody’s leadership. The number one things that I did last year that gave me the biggest benefits is waking up at 6 o’clock gave me the margin to really focus on my morning quiet time." "There’s leader development and leadership development. Those are two completely different things. Leadership development is acquiring the skills, talents, and abilities to accomplish a task or ass

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined by Pete Scazzero, the founder of New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York City and author of The Emotionally Healthy Leader. During their conversation, they discuss discipleship being the foundation of leadership. BEST QUOTES "Pondering a text, prayerfully before God, that’s where revelation comes." "I realize why the American church doesn’t do discipleship. It’s so demanding. It’s so counter-cultural to American evangelicalism. So we water down discipleship to grow-serve-connect. It’s so radical to how we do church today." "I think the Americanisms in our Christianity is so enormous we can’t even see it." "We are going to invest our lives to change the way the church does discipleship, so that our mission is effective around the world and so that we are raising up leaders. Because you are never going to have leaders develop without a serious discipleship that deeply changes people." "There are certain thi

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Michael Kelley, the Director of Groups Ministry for Lifeway Christian Resources and author of the new book Growing Down. During their conversation, they discuss the similarities and differences between discipleship and leadership development. BEST QUOTES “Discipleship is an intentional progression toward Christlikeness.” “Leadership is the joyful taking hold of responsibility.” “Leaders are the ones who don’t run from responsibility, but they take hold of it.” “We have to take a posture of intentionality toward those we are discipling or developing.” “Character is manifested in big moments, but it is made in small ones.” - Phillip Brooks “Often throughout history, the people who make disciples get lost as time goes by.” “The greatest way that you may impact the world is through someone else that you influenced.” “Part of leadership is understanding who you are and then maximizing what you have been given for

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Michael Anthony, lead pastor of Grace Fellowship and author of A Call for Courage. During their conversation, they discuss learning from your children, being open to honest feedback, and listening before you speak as a leader. BEST QUOTES “Most of the lessons I’ve learned in life, I’ve learned from my own failures.” “Leadership is not something you arrive at. You are constantly becoming a better leader.” “If God has called you to lead and you have a family, you have to balance and be intentional with your family or else they get lost in the crossfire.” “Leaders would benefit from doing a lot more listening and a lot less talking.” “It is amazing what you can get done if you only care that Jesus gets the credit.” “Growth requires confrontation.” “Most of the important things in life are not complex; they’re simple. Its just the matter of doing them and executing on them.” “No one who truly surrenders to God wi

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Jon Tyson, Lead Pastor of Church of the City in New York and author of the new book The Burden Is Light. During their conversation, they discuss learning from church history, finding your calling in life, and setting aside time for deep thinking and vision planning. BEST QUOTES “If discipleship doesn’t show up in the work place, it doesn’t show up at all.” “To help understand the calling on our life, we need to learn to be able to exegete and make sense of our own lives.” “We must live in the kingdom of God in such a way that it provokes questions for which the gospel is the answer.” - Lesslie Newbigin “I daily try and set aside time just to think and hear from God.” “Today, when every thought is a tweet or a short snippet, deep thinking is greatly needed.” “I have worked very hard to build an immune system in our family that can handle the sickness of our modern, fragmented culture.” “Young leaders have to le

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Danny Franks, Connections Pastor at the Summit Church in Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: Why should churches care about their Guest Service team and the first impression they make? How do you communicate this vision to your people? What are some qualities you should look for in a guest service volunteer? (Job profile) How do should you go about recruiting for and building a guest services team? What are some practical tips to welcome first time guests? BEST QUOTES “People were the mission for Jesus, so they should be our mission today as well.” “I’m surprised at how many churches communicate that they don’t care about their guests.” “Many churches do not have a plan for how they will reach their guests on a Sunday morning.” “Churches need to realize there is a difference between being friendly and being intentional.” “It is going to be

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined by Jean Twenge, a professor of psychology at San Diego State University and author of the book iGen. During their conversation, they discuss how social media, smartphones, and the internet are changing the children, teens, and young adults born in the mid-1990s and later. BEST QUOTES “iGen is the first generation to live their entire adolescence with smartphones.” “Teens who spend more time online and on social media are less happy and more likely to be depressed.” “In 2012, the percentage of Americans with a smartphone crossed 50%.” “The average age in America to get a smartphone is now 10 years old.” “There are two worries when it comes to the media your kids view. One is content and the other is access and time.” RECOMMENDED RESOURCES iGen by Jean Twenge Ministry Grid

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Quetisons podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Nick Runyon, the Executive Director of CV Outreach. During their conversation, they discuss how to understand your values, leadership lessons learned while washing dishes, and if listening to an audiobook counts as reading a book. BEST QUOTES “We try to put every idea we come up with through a value filter first. “As a leader, you must realize that there is nothing that is below you.” “Leadership in my home never looks good enough.” “We need to do the right things for the right reasons.” “You are going to make mistakes along the way, but whatever God is calling you to, just do it.” “As a leader, a lot of your job is learning in front of others.” “If you are a leader and not a learner, you are going to have a short shelf life.” "There are a lot of books out there that are not worth reading, but they are worth listening to." “It is still true that readers are leaders, but nowadays with podcasts, it is also lis

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Dr. Jeff Iorg of Gateway Seminary, author of Leading Major Change in Your Ministry, and host of the Lead On Podcast. During their conversation, they discuss how to lead through change, how reading biographies can help you become a better leader, and leading a team as they move to a new location. BEST QUOTES “If you are a ministry leader, you know that change is inevitable.” “Leaders often get the idea that if they make a mistake, they can’t continue leading, and that is simply not true.” “We spend so much time on our own plans that we do everything we can to stick with them, even when it is not working.” “The transition is not over just because change has been implemented.” “When I don’t get proper sleep, it shows up in my decision making.” “Directional discipline is vital to leadership.” “I would tell younger leaders to prioritize the leadership of your family and recognize you will have to say no to some thi

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Joel Rosenburg, a New York Times bestselling author and founder and chairman of The Joshua Fund. During their conversation they discuss what it is like to serve God in Israel, the importance of prayer, and the necessity of discernment in leadership. BEST QUOTES “Leaders are always learners.” “We have to be patient and battle against the force of the enemy that is trying to plant seeds of division every single day.” “We believe that God can open doors. We just don’t believe He will. So we don’t pray.” “We a serve a prayer hearing, a prayer answering, and wonder working God.” “We need to have a not-to-do list.” “I’m not always the best judge for the opportunities that lay in front of me. I need other people to help me.” “If you do not have the gift of discernment, you need to surround yourself with others who have that gift.” “Leaders must be careful to lead people, not drive them and run them over along the wa

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Jamie Ivey, host of The Happy Hour podcast and author of If You Only Knew. During their conversation, they talk about learning from those a few steps ahead, prioritizing your schedule, and how learn from failure. BEST QUOTES “Our stories matter, and God is in them.” “Find people who are a few steps ahead of you, watch them, ask them questions, and get them involved in your life.” “Watching people online is fine, but watching people in real life is where you actually see what is going on in their world.” “It is so important to be in environments where you are a learner and not always the leader.” “It is important for leaders to stop and not just give to do lists, but ask can I do anything for you on a personal level.” “We try to look at our calendars and ask, what are the things that we have to do, what are the things that we need to do, and then we fill in the wants when we can find a place for them.” “Trust t

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined by not just one guest but two: Kevin Peck, Lead Pastor of The Austin Stone Community Church and Josh Patterson, Lead Pastor over Ministry Leadership at The Village Church. During their conversation, they discuss learning from older leaders, leading well in their homes, and keeping the long journey of leadership in mind. BEST QUOTES “As leaders, we need to be faithful with the stewardship of time that God gives us to impact the world.” “As leaders grow and develop their own voice, you must fight to still lead together.” “The minute we assume something is going to happen, it doesn't happens.” “Everyday I have to ask God to make his will be done and not mine, otherwise, I am going to make a dumpster fire of my life.” “I have a finish line every day where I stop working.” “If we think that our finish line is bed time, than we can view our kids as another job.” “I try to make it a priority not to only be around othe

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Steve Gladen, Pastor of the Small Group Community at Saddleback Church and author of Small Groups with Purpose. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: Why are small groups important? What are some of the basics that a small group leader needs to know? What are some common challenges in the life cycle of a small group? How do you make sure your groups are connected to the church and do not go rogue? How can a small group leader effectively recruit and develop other small group leaders? BEST QUOTES “We want to provide leaders with a map, not a menu of training.” “The first thing Jesus did after his temptations was form a small group.” “The practical application of the Bible can’t happen in isolation or while being hidden in the crowd.” “Sin demands to have a man by himself. It withdraws him from the community.” - Dietrich Bonhoeffer “Small groups leaders need to see and lead t

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Eric Geiger are joined again by Carey Nieuwhof to discuss 5 more lies that leaders believe, just as they did on 5LQ Episode 112. This special episode is being broadcast not only on 5LQ, but also on the Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast. So many leaders are susceptible to believe things that are simply not true. The question is why do leaders believe these lies and how can they overcome them? If I’m winning at church, but not at home I’m still winning. If I’m winning in the eyes of my church, then I am winning in the eyes of God. I have paid my dues and I deserve this. Either people aren’t being honest with me or people are being honest with me. My secret sin doesn’t matter. BEST QUOTES “If you can’t lead well at home, you can’t lead well anywhere.” “I thought because we were winning at church, it excused everything that happened at home.” “Ministry is a vortex of theological confusion.” “I’d rather win at home and lose at ch